The 10 Most Anticipated Summer Movies of 2026 Expose Hollywood’s New Problem

Just in case you needed another reminder that Hollywood is gluing itself to familiar IP like a toddler with sticky hands, Fandango has rolled out its annual list of the most-hyped summer movies for 2026. And wow, if you were hoping for some bold, original storytelling... yeah, stop hoping.

What People Are Actually Looking Forward To

Fandango put out a poll asking moviegoers what they're most excited to see this summer season, and here's what made the top 10 cut:

• Toy Story 5
• Spider-Man: Brand New Day
• The Devil Wears Prada 2
• The Odyssey
• Scary Movie (2026)
• Moana (2026)
• Minions & Monsters
• Mortal Kombat II
• Supergirl
• Sony/Blumhouse Insidious

Another Year, Another Sequel

Now, if you looked at that list and wondered if you accidentally time-traveled back to 2012, you're not alone. The thing that jumps out (and probably shouldn't be surprising at this point) is just how little 'new' there actually is. Pretty much every title on that list is either a sequel, a remake, or a new installment in an ongoing franchise. Even 'The Odyssey'—at first glance, the only thing with even a whiff of originality—is actually a blockbuster retelling of the ancient epic, and it's only getting this much attention because it's being directed by Christopher Nolan. So yeah, that's as 'original' as this gets.

Why This Matters (and Why It's Kind of a Downer)

Look, I'm not going to argue that movies like 'Toy Story' or 'Spider-Man' aren't fun, or that people shouldn't be excited to see what Prada gets worn in a sequel. But here's the issue: the total silence for brand-new stories is getting harder to ignore. It's not just about artistic risk-taking either—this trend is a red flag for the future of going to the movies at all.

With theaters already having a tough time convincing people to leave their couches (thank you, streaming), the fact that audiences are mostly showing up for known quantities is making things even harder. Studios keep cashing in on franchises, but sequels almost always pull in fewer returns each time. The more the cycle repeats, the fewer fresh projects get funded—and eventually, that could mean fewer movies across the board.

So, as much as it's neat to see familiar favorites get another lap, it's a little gloomy that not a single wholly original film managed to crack the list. And it's not like nothing new is coming out: there are movies like 'Obsession', 'Disclosure Day', and 'The End of Oak Street' on the summer slate, and yet, they didn't even register for the average moviegoer.

One industry observer probably put it best:

'The audience's growing lack of curiosity in original movies only makes it easier to never visit the theater.'

Maybe next summer we'll see a new idea sneak onto one of these lists. But at this rate, I wouldn't bet on it.